'Centrist' Party expels MP who visited Israel

[4/27/2013 10:02:09 PM]

By Wael Al Jaraysheh

AMMONNEWS - The Islamist Centrist Party (ICP) decided on Monday to expel Member of Parliament Mohammad Asha Al-Dawaymeh from both the political party and its parliamentary bloc following a probe into his reported recent visit to Israel.

An ICP source told Ammon News that the deputy was subjected to questioning by the party regarding his recent visit to Israel, and attending a reception held by Israeli President Shimon Peres celebrating Israel's so-called "Independence Day," marking 65 years of the founding of Israel, considered the Palestinian Nakba of 1948.

Following a report published by Ammon News exposing that Al-Dawaymeh crossed over to Israeli territories last week using a vehicle carrying a Saudi Arabian license plate rather than a Jordanian one to attend Peres' reception, the Islamist Centrist Party launched an investigation into the incident.

Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Ammon News that Al-Dawaymeh's visit was not prepared by the Ministry, but rather by the Israeli Embassy in Amman.

ICP's Probing Al-Dawaymeh's visit revealed that Israeli partners of the MP in Spain planned his visit to Israel, and that the Israeli Foreign Ministry received the deputy at the Jordanian-Israeli borders last week.

Asked why he did not travel using a Jordanian license plate, Al-Dawaymeh told Ammon News earlier this week that his car "is being repaired," adding that the purpose of his visit was to defend the cause of Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.

ICP issued a statement on Monday stating that the party's parliamentary bloc met with ICP's political committee and decided unanimously to expel Al-Dawaymeh, citing his visit to the "Zionist entity" and his attendance of a reception and shaking hands with the "criminal" Peres, according to the statement.

"The Bloc and Political Committee voted unanimously to expel him considering that such acts violate the party's principles and foundations that reject all forms of normalization with the Zionist entity," the statement added.